The iPhone is officially being forced to have a USB-C port

[iMore.com]

The EU has signed its USB-C legislation into law, forcing Apple to adopt the port on the iPhone by the end of 2024. Full story from the iMore Blog...

 

[FFR]

Apple could skip usb c entirely.

 

[Just_Me_D]

To me, this is a matter that should not involve government. It’s not a national security issue, and not having a USB-C port will not cause the world to come to an end. Will the EU lose its mind if Apple opts to go portless?

 

[Annie_M]

This seems definitely like government overreach! I bet they would lose their mind if Apple opts to go portless!

 

[Up_And_Away]

To me, this is a matter that should not involve government. It’s not a national security issue, and not having a USB-C port will not cause the world to come to an end. Will the EU lose its mind if Apple opts to go portless?

Yep! There are going to be some downsides to an open market but it’s more than made up for by companies trying outside the box features as well as consumer tech punching into new areas that branches off from there. The market will reward, sometimes richly, what is either wanted or unexpectedly wanted by users — keyword being unexpectedly.

This is in part transparent politics. Look! we got Apple. But also the EU seems to be committed to removing ‘unexpectedly’. They’ll make it safe and linear for the consumer! And that absolutely guarantees companies in the EU will need the government to defend them from the US and Asian companies eating their lunch. Even if an EU based company has the idea first, the US and Asia is going to probably eat their lunch. That’ll be the direct result of government forced linear corporate (and private investment) actions. Seriously, it is so obvious this will be the result.

 

[FFR]

To me, this is a matter that should not involve government. It’s not a national security issue, and not having a USB-C port will not cause the world to come to an end. Will the EU lose its mind if Apple opts to go portless?

Well the eu did leave a loophole for apple to exploit.

 

[Lee_Bo]

This seems definitely like government overreach! I bet they would lose their mind if Apple opts to go portless!

I haven’t used the Lightning port since the 11. I use wireless charging for everything. Even have wireless in the car and use iCloud backup for everything. I’d personally love to see Apple go portless.

 

[Wotchered]

Portless would be a good way to go. On the other hand I have read that charging can be slower than ideal using wireless charging. I often top up before I go out and a slow charging system would be frustrating.

 

[EdwinG]

Will the EU lose its mind if Apple opts to go portless?

The problem is already solved. It doesn't extend to wireless charging devices, but I think they will require that they interoperate with the Qi standard - which Apple already does on most of their very-mobile devices

 

[Mr.Willie]

I haven’t used the Lightning port since the 11. I use wireless charging for everything. Even have wireless in the car and use iCloud backup for everything. I’d personally love to see Apple go portless.

The problem with wireless is it’s not really wireless with the exception of it being built into your car. It’s also only 53-57% efficient compared to wired. Plus, with my phone plugged in, I can pick it up and use it while it charges.

It’s not necessarily the Lighting port on the phone that chaps my *** (it does), but the Lightning port on the keyboard, mouse, Apple TV remote, and anything else I’m missing.

There is a USB C cable on my desk. I can plug in my Kindle, earbuds, headphones, iPad Pro, Winders laptop, but not my phone.

Oh, I know, I’ll buy a MagSafe battery pack And a MagSafe Duo wireless charger. Oh wait, never mind.

 

[Lee_Bo]

Plus, with my phone plugged in, I can pick it up and use it while it charges.

Well over the past many years I’ve never used my phone to the point where I needed to charge it during the day.

And if I did, I’d use that time to get away from my phone and not use it while it charges.

 

[Up_And_Away]

I haven’t used the Lightning port since the 11. I use wireless charging for everything. Even have wireless in the car and use iCloud backup for everything. I’d personally love to see Apple go portless.

Agreed. My 14 Pro Max after two months still has a virgin lightning port.
I know there are users who loathe not charging by plug in wire but I think for many of them it’s a reinforced habit more than anything. From a user experience perspective, MagSafe/wireless is superior.

Some users kept their vcrs and wouldn’t go to dvd. Later on, Netflix had to drag out providing DVDs, some users loathed streaming. On the same line of thinking, wired plug in charging for an iPhone is going away but some users won’t like it. They’ll eventually adapt just like vcr users and no-streaming users. The choice will be made for them.

 

[Up_And_Away]

Portless would be a good way to go. On the other hand I have read that charging can be slower than ideal using wireless charging. I often top up before I go out and a slow charging system would be frustrating.

I do understand this but consider only a couple handful of years ago, I’d be in a huddle around other people vying for the one wall outlet available at that Airport gate, just to top off my iPhone. Then eventually Charging station outlets would appear all over airports and nearly everyone could plug in. The need came up and it was met. Wireless (portless) charging expanding will be a need that gets met.
Apple’s last two iPhones have smaller batteries than Android competitors yet beat them handily in battery life. This forces Androids to get better, they will. Apple will continue too. Topping off will be needed less and less. It goes on the MagSafe charger at bedtime, you’ve got juice all day every day.

Just my own suggestion: MagSafe on the nightstand, MagSafe mount in the car. Good to go…

 

[Wotchered]

I do understand this but consider only a couple handful of years ago, I’d be in a huddle around other people vying for the one wall outlet available at that Airport gate, just to top off my iPhone. Then eventually Charging station outlets would appear all over airports and nearly everyone could plug in. The need came up and it was met. Wireless (portless) charging expanding will be a need that gets met.
Apple’s last two iPhones have smaller batteries than Android competitors yet beat them handily in battery life. This forces Androids to get better, they will. Apple will continue too. Topping off will be needed less and less. It goes on the MagSafe charger at bedtime, you’ve got juice all day every day.

Just my own suggestion: MagSafe on the nightstand, MagSafe mount in the car. Good to go…

The suggestion is great, if of course, I wanted to spend yet more money. You perhaps are missing the point that batteries in older phones have less usable power to play with.
So, I have an older phone, which will not last from sleep to sleep, I wish to maximise the use I get from my investment in phone and ancillaries. Also I like to use my devices while charging. In two or three years we might all be forced to buy portless iPhones, which is when I plan to purchase a new phone, because it will probably coincide with my XS being made obsolete. One or two years after that I will start running into battery longevity problems again,at which time I will not have a fast charge option to plug in !
That apart, I like the idea of a portless iPhone, I’d like a really fast wireless charger to go with it, I’m going to need one in five years !!

 

[Annie_M]

I understand the point that @Wotchered is making. I have purchased an Apple MagSafe charger, and I have purchased an Anker MagSafe Power Bank, both of which are pricey, and not something that everyone would want to do. Yet I also understand the point that @Up_And_Away is making about the convenience of MagSafe chargers, especially when out and about. I use both often, and the MagSafe Power Bank has been the most convenient of the two.

 

[Up_And_Away]

The suggestion is great, if of course, I wanted to spend yet more money. You perhaps are missing the point that batteries in older phones have less usable power to play with.
So, I have an older phone, which will not last from sleep to sleep, I wish to maximise the use I get from my investment in phone and ancillaries. Also I like to use my devices while charging. In two or three years we might all be forced to buy portless iPhones, which is when I plan to purchase a new phone, because it will probably coincide with my XS being made obsolete. One or two years after that I will start running into battery longevity problems again,at which time I will not have a fast charge option to plug in !
That apart, I like the idea of a portless iPhone, I’d like a really fast wireless charger to go with it, I’m going to need one in five years !!

Understand and fair point. It does require some spending and if your budget is tight, sincere apologies. I've lived on much tighter budgets and understand. I am not rich (dammit! ) but my budget is pretty solid and I can spend on these items. IMHO spend, if you can, on these things. It's the aggregate of these 'things' that make life better and easier and I believe ultimately cheaper. Buy the better iPhone, get the accouterment that makes charging and interoperation easy. Just as buying the best quality car you can afford, buy the shirt that is best quality name, the TV, even your frying pan (doesn't mean you can't wait for a sale on these!). This is the experience of several decades of always looking to go cheap but then looking back and seeing that between not working well, wearing out quickly, the frustrations and time consumption over it, it ends up more inexpensive from a life perspective to pay higher for the quality.
With that said I understand trying to get the most out of your purchase. I kept my iPhone 11 for 3 years even though I actually had ordered the 13 when it came out. But I'll tell you this, the 11 was a good phone but it usually wouldn't make it through the day unless it was starkly light use. This past year the screen was still fine, it still worked fine. But If you can bite the bullet, tighten the budget in other areas(for example if you eat out a lot, just two times less a month eating at home saves enough for the monthly payment), look for a carrier deal? The quality of life jump from the 11 to a 14 Pro Max is SUBSTANTIAL! Again I know budget obviously matters but your iPhone/smartphone you interact with many times a day, many thousands of times over a two year span. That's one of those things that if you get the better quality one it makes a heavy positive quality of life impact due to interacting with it so much.
Otherwise wear that old iPhone out (my ex GF kept her 6+ until this year). Me and you will probably be buying the same portless iPhone 17 model (it may be the 16 but my hunch is the 17 will be the first portless).

 

[Wotchered]

Understand and fair point. It does require some spending and if your budget is tight, sincere apologies. I've lived on much tighter budgets and understand. I am not rich (dammit! ) but my budget is pretty solid and I can spend on these items. IMHO spend, if you can, on these things. It's the aggregate of these 'things' that make life better and easier and I believe ultimately cheaper. Buy the better iPhone, get the accouterment that makes charging and interoperation easy. Just as buying the best quality car you can afford, buy the shirt that is best quality name, the TV, even your frying pan (doesn't mean you can't wait for a sale on these!). This is the experience of several decades of always looking to go cheap but then looking back and seeing that between not working well, wearing out quickly, the frustrations and time consumption over it, it ends up more inexpensive from a life perspective to pay higher for the quality.
With that said I understand trying to get the most out of your purchase. I kept my iPhone 11 for 3 years even though I actually had ordered the 13 when it came out. But I'll tell you this, the 11 was a good phone but it usually wouldn't make it through the day unless it was starkly light use. This past year the screen was still fine, it still worked fine. But If you can bite the bullet, tighten the budget in other areas(for example if you eat out a lot, just two times less a month eating at home saves enough for the monthly payment), look for a carrier deal? The quality of life jump from the 11 to a 14 Pro Max is SUBSTANTIAL! Again I know budget obviously matters but your iPhone/smartphone you interact with many times a day, many thousands of times over a two year span. That's one of those things that if you get the better quality one it makes a heavy positive quality of life impact due to interacting with it so much.
Otherwise wear that old iPhone out (my ex GF kept her 6+ until this year). Me and you will probably be buying the same portless iPhone 17 model (it may be the 16 but my hunch is the 17 will be the first portless).

Thanks for the replies. I just don’t use what might be thought of as the more sophisticated apps on my XS enough to warrant spending another grand on a phone ! I can If I want, but I don’t. I bought a tool, and until it’s worn out I’ll keep using it, when it slows down or or apps stop working on it, I’ll take more interest in the upcoming edition.
Everything I use works just fine !

 

[Up_And_Away]

Thanks for the replies. I just don’t use what might be thought of as the more sophisticated apps on my XS enough to warrant spending another grand on a phone ! I can If I want, but I don’t. I bought a tool, and until it’s worn out I’ll keep using it, when it slows down or or apps stop working on it, I’ll take more interest in the upcoming edition.
Everything I use works just fine !

Understood Watchered. There’s certainly also a good argument for using one’s personal tech until it has reached the point it must be replaced.